Fabric or cloth unwinding or unrolling machine



w. w. JEFFRESS w I FABRIC 0R CLOTH UNWINDING OR UNROLLING MACHINE Feb. 19, 1' 929.

Filed Aug. 23, 1923 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1929 UNITED STA ES PATENT, O CE I woo'r'ron WALTON JEFFRESS, or DALLAS, TEXAS.

- FABRIC OR CLOTH UNWINDING OR UNROLLING MACHINE.

, Application filed August 23, 1928. Serial 1%. 659,017.

My invention relates to improvements in unwinding or unrolling machines for fabric, paper, etc., and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.-

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which affords facilities for supporting a bolt orroll of fabric so that the fabric maybe woundon or unwou-nd from the bolt or roll to permit of desired lengths of the fabric being taken therefrom or placed thereon in an expeditious manner and without there being any necessity of the lengths of the fabric being folded by hand.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which provides means whereby large quantities of fabric or like material may be wound orrclled into bolts or rolls or unwound or unrolled therefrom in a relatively short time and without injury to the goods or causing manner described.

soiling thereof.

A further object of the invention is to providein a machine'of the character described means adjustable to rotatably support bolts or rolls of various lengths within aconsiderable range of sizes. I I I Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying gated hollow frame section 2 which is shown as comprising a pair of spaced apart parallelside members 3 having the upper end portions thereof bent inwardly or toward each otherto lie in a horizontal plane as indicated at 3 and having at their lower ends outwardly extending flanges 3 each provided with a series of bolt receiving openings 4 extending longitudinally thereof. The sides; 3

of the frame section 2 are, rigidly secured together at one end of the frame by'a transverse ,plate 5.

may be projected through said latera and other portions being The frame section 2 is closed along its lower side bya bottom plate 6 which has'series of openings 7 respectively in register with the corresponding openings 4 of the series of openings in the flanges 3 and bolts Sula-y be extended through selected registermg openings 4 and 7 to securefthe sides 3 of the section 2 to the bottom plate 6 in spaced parallel relation and to also secure the section 2 to a pair of base blocks 9. It will be understood that the spacing between the base blocks 9 may be varied within the limits of the series of openings 4-7. v The base blocks 9 have laterallyextending end portions provided with bolt receiving openings 10 whereby bolts 1y ex tending end portions to secure the base blocks 9 and the frame section 2, carried thereby upon a horizontal support such as'that indicated at 11 in Figure 2.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the frame section 2- will be held against move-' ment when secured to the support 11 in the The frame 1 also includes a movable section, indicated at 12 which conforms substantially in cross sectional contour to the section 2 and is of less area in cross section than the latter, being supported by the section 2 to slide inthe latter longitudinally thereof from a position in-which it is entirely received within the section 2 to a position in whichthe section 12 extends a considerable distance beyond the open end of the section 2. The sides 3 of the section 2 serve as guides engagingwith the correspondng portions of the section 12 for holding the latter against any appreciable movement laterally of the section 2 without preventing freeslidiu g movement of the section direction of its length. The section 12. is closed at its'outer end by a transverse plate 13. The ends 13 and 5 of the respectivesections 12 and 2 carry inwardly extending screw eyes 14 to which acoiled spring 15 is attached at its opposite'ends, the coiled spring extending through both the section. 2 and the section 12 and urging the section 12 to a position in which it is retracted into the section 2. I

'The sect-ions 2 and 1.2 may be releasably held in adjusted position in respect to each other against the action of the spring 15 by means of a locking pin'lG which is carried at 12 in the y one end of a lever 17 pivotally supported intermediate its lengthen oneof thesides of heads thereof countersunk so that the body of each work engaging headlias a smooth outer surface.

From the foregoing description ofthe various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The frame 1 preferably is secured upon the top of a counter or like support to extend transversely of the latter so that the crank arm 36 will be in a position readily accessible to the operator. The sections2 and 12 of the supporting frame are of known length and the distance between the work engaging heads 37 therefore may be adjusted initially to'aeeommodate bolts or rolls of fabric up to a certainlength by adjusting the position of the sliding section 12 in relation to thestationary section The bolt or roll is then held by the operator in one hand so that the body of the work engaging member carried by the upright suport 21 will enter the inner convolution or,

fold of the bolt or roll at one end of thelatter.

The bolt or roll then is swung to horizontal position to-occupy the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2 and the upright supporting member 25 then is moved toward the other uprightsupportuntil the body of the second work engaging head has entered the inner convolution or. fold of the bolt or roll at the second end of the latter and until the bodies 38 of the two work engaging heads are in such position with respect to each other that the bolt or roll will be held rigid with the heads. The locking lever 30 then is grasped and manipulated to lock the upright support 25 to the section 12. The bolt or roll then will be supported for rotation about the axis common to the spindles 34. In order to unwind or unroll the material from the bolt or roll, it is only necessarythat the end of the material be grasped and drawn at right angles to the axis of the bolt or roll until a desired length of material has been taken from the latter. In the event that it is'desired to wind the material upon the bolt or roll, the crank handle 36 may be manipulated to effect this result. It will be apparent that the device provides a means whereby varying lengths of material may be taken from or wound upon a bolt or roll expeditiously and without soiling the material, since only the extreme end of the material need be grasped toieffect the unwinding or unrolling-of the material and the material need not be grasped when it is wound or rolled upon a bolt or roll. Bolts or rolls of various lengths within a wide range may be supported for rotation in the manner described since the distance between the work engaging heads may be varied by adjusting'the position of the sliding section 12 in respect to the stationary section 2 and also by varying the position of the upright support 25 along the sliding section 12 or by making only the second named adjustment. I

element may be secured at its ends embodiment in trated in the accompanying drawing and I.

Also, since the bodies of the work engaging heads are substantially wedge-shaped and taper both in thickness and width toward their Outer .means for windingfabric or like material upon the boards or like supporting cores on which fabric ordinarily is wound or rolled to provide bolts or rolls, since the board or like to the body portions of the work engaging heads 37 in any suitable known manner and the windling of the material thereon effected by turning the crank handle 36.

Obviously, my invention is susceptiblevof forms other than that illuss therefore consider as my own all modifications and adaptations of the form of the dcvice herein. disclosed which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

' Having thus described the invention, What I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, an elongated hollow frame section open at one of its ends, means whereby said sectionmay be fixedly secured to a horizontal support so that the longitudinal axis of the section will be horizontally disposed, a second elongated hollow frame section "slidably fitting in the first section and adapted to be extended beyond the open end of said first section, an upright supporting member secured tosaid fixed frame sect-ion at the outer end of the latter, a second upright supporting' member supported by the sl'idable section for movement along the latter and being adapted. to cooperate with said first supporting member, means whereby said sec ,tions maybe locked together, in adjusted ends, it will be manifest that belts or rolls in which the inner folds or' position with respect to each other, means whereby said second upright supporting member may be locked to said slidable section in a desired position on the latter, and a pair of cooperative work engaging heads carried at the upper ends of saidupright supporting members.

2. In a devieeof the charaeterdescribed, an elongated hollow frame section open at one of its ends,'means whereby said section may be fixedly secured to a horizontal support so that the longitudinal axis of the sectionwill be horizontally disposed, a second elongated hollow frame section slidably fitting in the first section and adapted to be extended beyond the open end of said first seotion, an upright supporting member secured to said fixed frame section at the outer-end of the latter, a second upright supporting member supported by the slidable section for movement along the latter and being adapted to: cooperate with said first supporting DEQIDbGI mQDeHS whereby said sections may be looked together in adjusted position Wit respect toeachother, means whereby said second upright supporting member may be looked to. said slidable section in e desired position. on the latter, a pair of cooperative work engagingh-eaes ,eerried at the upper ends sud-upright si-ippertin-g members, and spring means connecting said frame seetiens together and ingingsaid slide'ble section towerd a position in which it is retracted in fez-.10.- fixed section.

Wei-Tron WALTON Jnnnenss. 

